Butch Davis wrote:
While the Corps does not build levees it often lets the contracts for levee
construction and generally supplies the specs. Flood control levees are
often Corps levees. If the Corps lets the contract Corps inspectors have
the job of ensuring the specs are followed.


I had the impression that the Corps pretty much owned all the specs for
that kind of thing, and did the QA for Fed controlled projects on these
lines.

However, there is an important piece of information to consider. The Corps
is seldom responsible for maintenance of levees except for ICW levees.

In a prvious life I drafted all the letters to communities regarding the
outcome of levee maintenance inspections conducted by Corps personnel.
Almost without exception communities failed to maintain levees in good
operating condition. But, at least they were duely informed that the levees
were subject to failure and/or leakage at water levels below design due to
poor to nonexistant maintenance.


That's a good point, and it's a political hot potato to sling back &
forth between the folks who want to do levee meaintenance... either
because they live next door to it, or because they want the contract...
and the people who don't want to spend money on maintenance because if
they let it fall apart, the Corps will come and upgrade it at no (or
less) cost to the locals.


A lot of folks don't realise that the US Army Corps of Engineers are good
guys who provide a lot of help to communities and who help fight floods when
they come.


Agreed. The Corps of Engineers has been doing so much with so little for
so long, that it's now expected to do everything with nothing.

DSK